Andrew Wiggins ready for spotlight of No. 1 draft pick

There's one thing Andrew Wiggins will be surely prepared for once he enters the NBA: the spotlight.

Wiggins came to Kansas with unreachable expectations, being projected as one of the best players to come out of high school since LeBron James. The 6-8 forward was being projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft in June last year.

"I know I can never live up to expectations," Wiggins said. "I try to set goals for myself and achieve those goals. I just want to be the best player I can be to be successful.

"I think the NBA is much more my style, but I'm going to be patient. I think right away my defense can be my X factor."

Wiggins quietly improved his game at Kansas. But it was fellow freshman Jabari Parker from Duke who took all the "best freshman" headlines. Wiggins averaged 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds a game as a freshman, but his unspectacular performances — scoring three points against rival Oklahoma State and four points in a season-ending loss to Stanford — seemed to overshadow his flashes of brilliance — a 41-point outing against West Virginia and a 17-point, 19-rebound performance against Iowa State.

"Andrew is the type of guy who could score 28, and you'd say, 'Why didn't he score more?' Critics want him to do more," said Jayhawks coach Bill Self, who jokingly remembers finding out Wiggins was playing for Kansas via Twitter. "I understand that because the game comes so easy to him, it's so natural. His skill set vastly improved in one year of college basketball, and when it catches up to his athletic ability, he's going to be incredible.

"The kid declared (to play in the NCAA) early and should have been a freshman this year. For anyone who's studied him, they should see that the improvement he made in nine months was tremendous. And now it's time for another step. I think that'll be a natural step."

USA Today Sports' Scott Gleeson discusses which NBA players he sees in some of the best draft prospects.

The biggest criticism Wiggins has received has been his lack of a put-the-team-on-my-back mentality. "There's no question about his gifts — his talent and athleticism. But does he have a takeover personality? Is he that kind of star? That might be the biggest question of this year's draft," NBA draft analyst Jay Bilas said.

"He doesn't show a lot of emotion, but that doesn't mean he's not into it," Self said. "Can he develop that killer instinct? I believe he can. … He's very even-keeled. His highs aren't too high, and his lows aren't too low. If he was more emotional, he couldn't have handled all the hype surrounding him as a freshman. In the NBA, it's an 82-game season. You hear about guys hitting that rookie wall. He's not going to, because he's not an up-and-down guy. What you see is what you get."

Wiggins said having two parents who are elite athletes — his father, Mitchell, is a former NBA player and his mother, Marita Payne-Wiggins, is a former Olympic track and field sprinter — has helped him keep a levelheaded approach in the midst of all the hype.

"That media glare has been there since he was 14, and then he was called the next LeBron James," Mitchell Wiggins said of the attention surrounding his son. "I told him, 'No one can judge you with how good you can be until you have those three letters on, and that's N, B, A.'

"Some people want him to grow a mustache and look mean on his face. Andrew's not about that; he's not about stats. You don't go to Kansas and play for me. You play for the front of your jersey, for your teammates. For those who say he needs to look serious, ready to kill, or that he needs some pit bull in him, well, judgment day is when he gets to the NBA — when he starts playing against grown men."

... After graduating from Texas A&M in 1976, Sonny was drafted as the 17th overall pick by the Golden State Warriors. Sonny played six seasons with the Warriors before retiring in 1982. Pictured here Sonny (22) defends New Jersey Nets' Bernard King (22) in 1978.
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Lola and Sonny Parker cheer on their son, Jabari, and his high school basketball team, during an Illinois state playoff game in 2012. Jabari is on a different level, with athletic genes running through both sides of the family. Sonny played six years in the NBA, and Lola has three relatives who are NFL football players.
Charles Rex Arbogast, AP

... Glenn "The Big Dog" Robinson Jr. was drafted in the top spot in the 1994 NBA Draft to the Milwaukee Bucks. With his 10-year, $68M rookie contract, Glenn Jr. still stands as the highest-paid rookie in NBA history. Pictured here, the "Big Dog" slam dunks against the Washington Wizards in 2002.
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Now when Glenn Robinson Jr. attends basketball games, he dons maize and blue to support his son. Here, he watches a second-round NCAA college basketball tournament game between Michigan and the Wofford in 2014.
Jeffrey Phelps, AP

... Harvey Grant was selected by the Washington Bullets as the 12th pick in the 1988 draft. Harvey declared for the pros one year after his identical twin brother, Horace, who was picked 10th by the Chicago Bulls in 1987. Here, Harvey pumps his fists after the Bullets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 95-93 in 1997.
John Mummert, AP

Kansas Jayhawks guard Andrew Wiggins (22) is looking to steal the top spot in the 2014 draft. Andrew's family tree is full of decorated athletes. His mother, Marita Payne-Wiggins, is a two-time Olympic silver medalist in track and field for Canada, and his father, Mitchell, recorded six NBA seasons ...
Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports

... Before earning the 23rd spot in the 1983 draft, Mitchell Wiggins (15) won a silver medal at the 1982 FIBA World Championships. In the NBA, Mitchell played six seasons, making an appearance in the 1986 NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets (pictured here).
Michael Tweed, AP

Kansas freshman NCAA college basketball player Andrew Wiggins, right, hugs his father, Mitchell Wiggins, after announcing he would enter the NBA draft at a news conferenceat the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., March 31, 2014.
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Mitchell Wiggins played six NBA seasons, with the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers. He played another 10 years in different basketball leagues in the USA and overseas.

"Andrew grew up in a gym," Mitchell said. "These young cats today don't work on their fundamentals. Andrew's fundamentally sound. He's got a lot of athletic talent, but you need more than that. He's comfortable being who he is, and if he becomes the best Andrew Wiggins he can be, I think he'll be one of the greatest players ever."

Wiggins is ecstatic to fulfill a life-long dream of playing professional basketball, but he's thinking about the next step after his career is over.

"Basketball is a big part of my life, but I've got a life outside basketball," Wiggins said. "Whenever I have doubts or questions, my parents always have my back. … I love the game, but what happens when the air comes out of the basketball? You have to know what really matters."

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Top 2014 NBA draft prospect Joel Embiid, a Kansas center, could end up being the incarnate of Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon thanks to his natural defensive instincts and unbelievable fluidity for a 7-footer. USA TODAY Sports' Adi Joseph takes a look at his top 14 prospects and their best-case scenarios, looking for past player comparisons.
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2. Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins has the explosive athleticism, length and instincts to become a dominant perimeter defender like Bulls legend Scottie Pippen. He's less of a point-forward but does have great ball-handling and will initiate the offense at times.
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3. Duke small forward Jabari Parker is the best scorer in the draft and could one day join the ranks of Knicks star Carmelo Anthony in leading the league in points per game. Parker similarly can score in a variety of ways and could use the low post to take advantage of smaller defenders.
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4. Australian guard Dante Exum has the rarely seen length, explosiveness and point guard skills to match one of the most exciting players of the 1990s, Magic star Penny Hardaway. Like Hardaway, Exum can take over, particularly in transition.
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5. Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart is a point guard, but his game resembles Heat star Dwyane Wade, at least when Wade was younger. Smart is about as strong as any point guard you'll come across and can make daring drives to the basket against bigger opponents because of it. He's creative and a fierce competitor and defender, like Wade.
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6. Indiana power forward Noah Vonleh has the balance of aggressive inside play and some guard skills that Chris Bosh showed off before joining the Heat, when he was an All-NBA player with the Raptors. Like Bosh, whose role has changed in recent seasons, Vonleh has a natural feel for rebounding and can take anyone big enough and strong enough to guard him outside.
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7. Kentucky power forward Julius Randle is a load to handle when he hits the paint. If he develops fully, he could be another Karl Malone, the Jazz legend who is the NBA's second-leading scorer. Randle, like Malone, can beat anyone strong enough to handle him by using his quickness off the dribble.
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8. Michigan State shooting guard Gary Harris has the same thick frame and well-rounded game as Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond. Like Richmond, Harris is a playmaker but not a point guard and uses his strength to overcome any lack of size he might have.
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9. Arizona forward Aaron Gordon will use his ridiculous athleticism to help him make up for not quite fitting as either a 3 or a 4. But don't sell his skills short: Much like Mavericks forward and former NBA All-Star Shawn Marion, he should become a dominant rebounder and defender and could even develop a jumper from the perimeter.
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10. UCLA small forward Kyle Anderson is at his best when he's running the offense and controlling the pace of the game, much like former Pacers star Jalen Rose. And like Rose, Anderson is not going to wow anyone with his natural athleticism. He's relying on basketball savvy, a gift for passing and an improved jumper.
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11. Croatian forward Dario Saric compares his own game to Lamar Odom's, and that makes sense. Odom, the versatile sixth man who helped the Lakers win two titles and now is on the Knicks, is known for his rare combination of passing and rebounding, which is where Saric should thrive. He plays a European-style game, and that fits very well in the modern NBA.
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12. UCLA guard Zach LaVine has wowed NBA scouts with his athleticism, ball-handling and knack for scoring, but he does not quite fit in at either guard spot. LaVine brings to mind reigning sixth man of the year Jamal Crawford of the Clippers, a great scorer and playmaker who seems to fit best off the bench playing a wild-card role. If LaVine can learn to defend, he'll have a major one-up on Crawford.
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13. Duke forward Rodney Hood is a scorer, above all else. He can score in seemingly every way, particularly with his jump shot off the dribble. That makes him similar to Danny Granger, the Clippers swingman who was an All-Star for the Pacers. Hood could be a sleeper for rookie of the year because of his knack for finding the hole.
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14. Creighton small forward Doug McDermott ran away with national player of the year awards in college, too big and strong to be defended by anyone quick enough to stop him. Former Timberwolves All-Star Wally Szczerbiak was similarly unstoppable in college and had his scoring skill translate well to the pros. McDermott may encounter similar defensive issues to Szczerbiak's.
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